Mushroom Free Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Rich, golden, and deeply savory, this homemade chicken bone broth is the kind of kitchen project that makes your whole house smell incredible. A lot of store-bought broths and bouillons sneak in mushroom powder or mushroom extract for umami depth, which can be a real problem if you're avoiding fungi entirely ā making your own is the cleanest solution. Here, that savory complexity comes entirely from slow-simmered chicken bones, sweet carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs like thyme and parsley. The apple cider vinegar trick is a quiet workhorse step: it draws minerals out of the bones during a 20-minute rest before the heat even goes on, giving you a broth with genuine body and richness. Blanching the bones first and skimming the foam during the early simmer keeps everything clear and clean-tasting rather than murky or bitter. Once strained and chilled, you'll have a glossy, lightly viscous broth that's ready to anchor soups, braise grains, or just be sipped from a mug on a cold afternoon. It's the kind of thing you make once and immediately want to keep stocked in your fridge at all times.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
- 3 lb chicken bones and carcasses (backs, necks, wings, or a mix)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 10ā12 cups cold water, or enough to cover by 1 inch
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken bones in the stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain and rinse the bones under cold running water, discarding the blanching liquid. Wipe out the pot. This step removes impurities that would cloud the finished broth.
- 2
Return the rinsed bones to the clean pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and ginger (if using). Pour in enough cold water to cover everything by about 1 inch (10ā12 cups). Let the pot sit, uncovered, for 20 minutes ā the vinegar begins drawing minerals from the bones during this rest.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!